Designing a conservation plan for protecting the habitat for giant pandas in the Qionglai mountain range, China

Abstract

Population viability of the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) is threatened by small population sizes in scattered isolated habitat areas. Designing a conservation plan for protecting and connecting the fragmented habitat will improve the chances for survival of this endangered species. For such a plan, this study assessed the overall habitat suitability for the species in the Qionglai mountain range (Sichuan, China) using Landsat TM imagery acquired in 2001, geographical data, field surveys, and information acquired in previous researches. Results show that the habitat is separated by roads and rivers, as well as by human settlements and cropland areas, into four main habitat blocks. Overlapping these four habitat blocks with the current nature reserve network reveals that only 36% of the total habitat is protected within nature reserves. Thus, the current nature reserve network is failing to preserve essential habitat for dispersal and genetic exchange. In this study, five key areas and four linkage areas were identified and suggested as nature reserves and/or corridors. These areas, together with the six currently established nature reserves in the mountain range, will form a conservation unit for facilitating the exchange of giant panda individuals among previously isolated habitat blocks. Policies recently implemented by the Chinese government, including the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP), could aid in the formation of such a conservation unit.

Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat

“…During the past decade the Chinese government has enacted two major initiatives to protect forest and restore giant panda habitat. These include the Grain-to-Green Program, which compensates farmers for returning steep cropland to forest, and the Natural Forest Conservation Program, which bans harvest of natural forests and provides economic incentives to locals for enforcement against tree harvest [7,70]. Research in Wolong Nature Reserve suggests that these International Journal of Ecology 9 programs have helped restore habitat [71].…”

“…The species is limited to montane deciduous and coniferous forests with bamboo understories. During the twentieth century, giant panda habitat steadily and rapidly declined [3,5,7]. Driving forces of habitat loss are agricultural conversion, and large-scale activities such as road construction, logging, mining, and hydroelectric development.…”

Nature reserve group planning for conservation of giant pandas in North Minshan, China

“…Slope and elevation data were from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a resolution of 30 m × 30 m, provided by the National Geomatics Center of China. Detailed information about the habitat assessment can be obtained from Xu et al (2006) and Liu et al (1999).…”

“…Panda habitat in the study area was assessed using a conceptual model (Liu et al 1999;Xu et al 2006), according to which suit-able habitat is determined by requiring that it meets a number of criteria based on the biological requirements of giant pandas: (1) classified as forest cover type; (2) between 1200 m and 3800 m elevation; and (3) less than 50 • slope. A number of procedures were followed in order to compile a final habitat map.…”

“…Some NRGs have been formed, or are being planned, on the basis of multi-species distribution (Xiao et al 2004) or flagship species distribution (Wang et al 2009;Xu et al 2006) at the scale of mountain range or even provincial scale (Zhang & Zheng 2008).…”